An Absolutely Beautiful Old Boro Furoshiki: Tsutsugaki Wisteria

late nineteenth century
58" x 53 1/2", 147.5 cm x 136 cm

For anyone wishing to acquire a very good boro textile--that is, one with age, soulful character, wonderful material and unintended artistry--consider this piece.

This is a very patched, very worn, very well-used and beautifully rustic resist dyed furoshiki that has been broken and mended time and again. In fact there is still an unmended vertical tear to the middle of the furoshiki and some torn notches on the sides of the cloth which have been left as-is and not mended.

As this piece is a furoshiki, that is, a cloth used for hauling, wrapping and storage, and as it has been used very hard over time, the surface of the cloth both inside and out is extremely battered, nicked, faded and pulled out of shape. There are almost 30 patches that are used to mend the proper interior of this cloth.

There is a resist dyed design visible on one side of the furoshiki and that is of a stylized wisteria, in this case it is a family crest.

Pore over the many detail photos here to get a sense of the age and the tactile quality of this old boro textile. Its character is rustic and it presents beautifully as it shows its age and the traces of the many hands and many lives it has served.

Recommended.